Being stuck in the house, like everyone else on the Island, Kait Quadri was trying to find things for her family to do last week.
She and her husband, Shad, were looking at the P.E.I. Caremongering group on Facebook when she jokingly mentioned to him how funny it would be to make a life-sized Where’s Waldo in their yard for people walking by to find.
Her husband, Shad was immediately on board.
“Yes, we’re doing that.”
Shad got his hands on a giant piece of cardboard, but despite his enthusiasm for the idea, Kait ended up in charge of painting the larger-than-life-sized Waldo, with a little help from her oldest daughter, Aria, said Kait.
“She helped me paint it and do everything with it because she really loves Waldo. That’s kind of where the idea came from.”
In fact, searching for the red-striped sweater-wearing and hide-and-seek champ is a family affair. While talking on the phone to the Guardian on Sunday, the practical nursing student and mother of three was interrupted by one of her daughters
She wanted her mom to get a Where’s Waldo? book off the shelf.
Kait was happy to oblige.
“They’re sitting down reading a book, which is great and very quiet and not destructive, so that’s good.”
Unbeknownst to her, Shad posted a picture of her painting the nine-foot tall Waldo to the Caremongering group on Facebook. The group is a place for Islanders to try to do some good throughout this pandemic, with some offering to shop for those who may not be able to, or otherwise brainstorm ideas to brighten up everyone’s days while self-isolating.
It has garnered over 400 reactions and 170 shares.
The reaction came as a surprise to her, she said.
“I really didn’t expect it to go that crazy. There was a lot more response than I ever expected for something like that.”
In the real world, the reaction has been equally as positive, said Kait.
“We’ll be playing outside and people will be driving by or walking by with their dogs and creeping on our house… everyone seems to enjoy it and our neighbours want in on it.”
One neighbour has already painted Waldo’s dog, Woof, for their own yard.
While she has no intention of adding any more Waldo characters to the yard, Shad has more ideas, said Kait.
“Shad has grandiose plans of making little scrolls and things that they have in the book, but I’m like ‘okay, you can do that.’”
For now, hiding one character every day is enough, especially with the prospect of becoming a temporary teacher to her kids next week as schools remain closed.
